Department for Transport

Large Goods Vehicles: Bath

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to accommodate heavy lorries travelling between the A36 and A46 during repair works to Cleveland Bridge in Bath.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: A weight restriction of 18 tonnes has been placed on Cleveland Bridge, which is to remain in place for the duration of the repair works. A 7.5 tonne weight restriction is in place on many streets in the centre of Bath so HGVs are directed to diversion routes to the east or west of the city.

Large Goods Vehicles: Kent

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they plan to check and verify documentation for 'Kent access permits' for the purpose of (1) assisting ports in allocating slots, and (2) understanding which cargoes need inspection.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The purpose of the Kent Access Permit (KAP) is to minimise the number of HGVs travelling to the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel without the correct export documentation and thus, mitigate against any disruption those ‘unready’ HGVs would cause. The KAP is obtained from the Check an HGV is Ready to Cross the Border service, where a driver or haulier must check they have the right documentation before proceeding to the ports. The Check an HGV service has not been designed to integrate with the ports operations to allocate tickets and does not link into other Government databases to inform which cargoes need inspection. In Kent, the Check an HGV service database will be used by DVSA enforcement officials and Kent Police in conjunction with Automatic Number Plate Recognition to check whether EU bound HGVs have a valid KAP. Should it be required, a similar process will take place at the HGV holding sites in Kent using the Check an HGV Operator Application to scan vehicles number plates to check for the presence of a KAP.

Large Goods Vehicles

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are preparing their guidance Transporting goods between Great Britain and the EU from 1 January 2021: guidance for hauliers and commercial drivers, published on 18 November, in languages other than English; and if so, (1) in which languages it will be available, and (2) whether the translations will be available before 1 January 2021.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The haulier handbook is only one part of the wider package the Government has put in place to help and guide hauliers, which also includes the roll out of 45 Information and Advice Sites and a multimillion pound information campaign, running across the UK and Europe. The haulier handbook will be available in 14 languages and officials have already published translations in Welsh, Polish and Romanian on GOV.UK. A full list of languages is below:EnglishWelshPolishRomanianCzechFrenchGermanRussianSpanishBulgarianDutchHungarianLithuanianTurkish All translations are planned to available online from week commencing Monday 30 November 2020.

Eurostar and High Speed One: Finance

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to theirannouncement of financial support for airports and other air infrastructure on 25 November, what plans they have to provide similar support to HS1 and Eurostar.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government recognises that the international rail sector, as with other transport sectors, has been significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government has been working closely with both HS1 Ltd and Eurostar since the outbreak of the pandemic to monitor its impact on passenger numbers and services, as well as to provide support, particularly through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Department for Transport officials?have?also been?actively participating?in discussions with Eurostar and?HS1?Ltd?to?consider and?address the?longer-term?challenges facing the HS1 system?as a result of?reduced demand for international rail services. The Government?will continue to engage in these?discussions to identify?appropriate solutions to these challenges, as well as to keep under review the ongoing impact of Covid-19 on the international rail sector.

Aviation and Railways: Carbon Emissions

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on UK carbon emissions if a substantial number of travellers switched from using trains to aviation services.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department has made no such assessment. Rail is a comparatively green mode of transport, accounting for ten per cent of all miles travelled in the UK but less than 1.4% of UK transport greenhouse gas emissions, and the railway is continuing to become greener as we decarbonise the network. At the same time, we are working hard to decarbonise our aviation sector. The Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution included funding to support aviation fuels and zero emission aviation, and earlier this year the Transport and Business Secretaries launched the Jet Zero Council to accelerate action.

Airports: Non-domestic Rates

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the business rates relief granted to airports on competition between airlines and Eurostar; and what, if any, assistance they plan to provide to Eurostar to enable them to compete on equal terms.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: During the Covid-19 response, the Government has provided unprecedented financial support that has been made available to all sectors of the economy.On 24 November, the Department announced a financial support scheme to support eligible commercial airport and ground handling businesses by reducing cash burn, enabling businesses to unlock shareholder and lender support. Eligible businesses will be able to apply to the scheme from early 2021. Further details will be published shortly.The Government has been engaging closely with Eurostar since the outbreak of Covid-19 earlier this year to monitor its ongoing impact and support the company to access available support to address its particular needs, where appropriate, and will continue to do so.

Motorcycles: Sales

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to phase out the sale of motorbikes with internal combustion engines.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government has no current plans to phase out the sale of internal combustion motorcycles. We are supporting those riders wanting to switch to the growing numbers of zero emission two wheelers and benefit from the lower running costs with a grant of 20% off the up-front purchase price of eligible models, up to a maximum of £1,500.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Construction

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 9 November(HL9507), which destinations the "six trains per hourthat can be reliably operated from Old Oak Common within the existing station design" are planned to serve; and at what frequency.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: No decisions have been made on the exact HS2 train service that will operate to and from Old Oak Common. The Department for Transport has appointed West Coast Partnership Development to analyse passenger demand and present options for train service patterns that best allow this demand to be met with the available infrastructure. The Secretary of State will decide on the preferred option, once it has been subject to a consultation, nearer to the time that HS2 opens.

Cycleways: Coronavirus

Lord Moylan: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to produce criteria for the evaluation of bicycle lanes created by local highways authorities in response to the statutory guidance Traffic Management Act 2004: network management in response to COVID-19updated on 13 November; and whether such criteria will include the evaluation of the effects (1) on all modes of transport subject to that Act, and (2) on the emergency services.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department is currently developing a framework to help local authorities monitor and evaluate the schemes that they will be delivering through tranche two of the Active Travel Fund. They will be asked to consider, among other things, congestion impacts before and after scheme implementation. All local authorities are required to consult with emergency services on changes to road layouts that require Traffic Regulation Orders as set out in the statutory guidance, and as a condition of funding for schemes delivered through the Active Travel Fund.

Environment Protection: Industry

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government why there is no mention of (1) the rail passenger, or (2) the rail freight, sector in their The ten point plan for a green industrial revolution, published on 18 November.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: We are already investing tens of billions of pounds in enhancements and renewals in our rail network and electrifying more railway lines. This will enable more passengers and freight to use the railway, supporting the Green Industrial Revolution and the 10-point plan.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure a comprehensive, UK-wide interoperable vehicle charging network to improve consumer take-up of electric vehicles.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department is committed to ensuring consumers have reliable access to a comprehensive vehicle charging network so that they can easily and conveniently charge their cars wherever they live and travel. The Government will invest £1.3 billion to accelerate the roll out of charging infrastructure, targeting support on rapid charge points on motorways and major roads to dash any anxiety around long journeys, and installing more on-street charge points near homes and workplaces to make charging as easy as refuelling a petrol or diesel car. To increase confidence in the charging network and reduce range anxiety, the Department will work with industry to make?chargepoint?data available so that drivers can easily locate and access available?chargepoints. Government will consult on using its powers under the Automated Electric Vehicles Act to mandate minimum requirements to improve people’s experience when using a public chargepoint.

Roads: Closures

Baroness Fox of Buckley: To ask Her Majesty's Government under what conditions councils in London have been given statutory authority to close roads during the COVID-19 pandemic; and how long any such temporary closures will be in place.

Baroness Fox of Buckley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of how the average journey time for cars and other vehicles has been affected as a result of road closures in London during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Active Travel Fund was announced on 9 May and provided £225 million of funding for local authorities to enable them to reallocate road space and make changes to road layouts in response to COVID-19. Alongside the funding, the Department published statutory guidance to local authorities under the Traffic Management Act 2004. This provides advice on the changes that Government expects them to make to their road layouts to give more space to cyclists and pedestrians. It is for local authorities to decide what specific measures are appropriate on their roads to achieve this. The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 gives local authorities powers to close roads using Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs). No new road closure powers have been granted. The emergency legislation which came into force on 22 May made some changes to the procedure for making TROs, but did not alter the pre-existing notice periods. Local authorities are still required to give 7 days’ notice of proposed temporary or experimental changes, to allow time for local residents or businesses to send in any comments or objections. The monitoring and evaluation of schemes, including impact on traffic flows, is a matter for local authorities.

Large Goods Vehicles: Tyres

Earl Attlee: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of goods vehicles which are taxed as private and not used commercially that could be affected by the ban on tyres aged 10 years and over.

Earl Attlee: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Department for Transport and its agents undertook research into the longevity of the life of safe tyres on Heavy Goods Vehicles; how many tyres were (1) selected for, and (2) actually used, in that research; and what steps they took to ensure that their research used controls to allow for the possibility that any changes observed in tyre material over time could have been caused by changes in the mix of the compound used by the manufacturers and not by deterioration.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government commissioned fundamental research to understand whether the material properties of a vehicle tyre change with its chronological age to such an extent that the integrity of the tyre, and therefore its safety, is compromised. 44 used tyres were selected as potential test samples, ranging from 3 to 19 years in age and originating from in-service use within the UK vehicle fleet. However, 18 of these tyres exhibited evidence of physical damage, under-inflation, penetrations or repairs and were rejected from the study. The remaining 26 tyres were included, alongside five new tyres for comparator purposes. To limit the variability from differences in rubber compound, steel cords and construction, all the tyres selected were from the same manufacturer, and the same size and designated usage i.e. for front axles. However, three different tyre models were used, as no single model spanned the complete age range of the tyres selected for the study.

Leader of the House of Lords

Parliament: Security

Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top: To ask the Leader of the House whether any current Lords Ministers sponsor Parliamentary passes for individuals other than (1) family members, (2) civil servants, (3) carers, and (4) special advisors; and if so, what the reasons are for the sponsorship of those Parliamentary passes.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: One Lords Minister sponsors a pass for a member of staff who does not fall into any of the four categories listed in the question and who provides non-government administrative support. In line with the Code of Conduct and the Code of Conduct for House of Lords Members' Staff, there is an entry in the Register of Interests - Members of the House of Lords staff. The register can be found at:https://members.parliament.uk/members/lords/interests/register-of-interests-of-lords-members-staff

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Design and Technology: Nature

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they havemade of the potential of the use of (1) biomimicry, and (2) design processes and technology based on natural behaviour models, in the UK economy.

Lord Callanan: The Government has funded research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) in a number of areas. This includes investment by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) in the Centre for Nature-Based Engineering (CNIE). Launched in 2013, as one of five EPSRC “Frontier Engineering” Centres, the CNIE draws lessons from nature to engineer innovative solutions to our grand challenges in energy, water, materials, health, and living space. In 2017, the Centre was awarded an EPSRC Progression Grant, to enable the Centre to continue to explore novel, transformative, multi-disciplinary solutions to key engineering challenges, where mechanisms found in nature systems can deliver superior performance over traditional approaches. In addition, the Centre accelerates translation of its findings into practice, through a wide range of industrial collaborations and entrepreneurship. The Frontier Engineering Progression Grant extends underpinning EPSRC investment in the CNIE until at least the end of 2021. Biomimicry is also one of the potential features of the National Engineering Biology Programme being developed by UKRI partners and the Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory. As part of the proposed programme, Engineering Biology aims to draw upon discovery-inspired advanced research themes in Bioinspired Design (e.g. biomimicry, biocomputing), Bioengineered Cells & Systems (e.g. artificial life, protocells, genome engineering) and Novel Materials (e.g. smart materials, new chemistry).

Geothermal Power

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to develop opportunities for geothermal energy generation to help address climate change.

Lord Callanan: Opportunities for geothermal electricity generation in the UK are limited and only likely to be economically feasible in certain locations, such as the far South West of England. The Government is supporting the development of the United Downs Deep Geothermal Project in Cornwall. The most promising use of geothermal energy in the UK is for low temperature applications such as district heating schemes. BEIS has been providing support to the deployment of district heat networks from geothermal through the Heat Networks Delivery Unit (HNDU) and the Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP). We also announced a further £270m from 2022 to 2025 in the Green Heat Network Fund at the March budget and we will be consulting on eligibility criteria in due course.

Construction: Skilled Workers

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further (1) to the speech by thePrime Ministeron the economy on 30 June in which he pledgedthey would “build, build, build”, and (2) to the rate of retirement rate of skilled workers in the construction sector, how they intend to ensure there are sufficient (1) quantity surveyors, (2) bricklayers, (3) plasterers, (4) masons, and (5) welders, inthat sector.

Lord Callanan: The Government is supporting the construction sector in its drive to increase investment in skills development, and to equip workers with the skills that they will need for the future. This is a cross-industry drive which includes organisations delivering training to quantity surveyors, bricklayers, plasterers, masons, and welders. This will be achieved through a joint commitment to implement reforms to the Construction Industry Training Board to make it more strategic and industry-led, and to enable the sector to make best use of funding from the Apprenticeship Levy. On 1 June, the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) published its Industry Recovery Plan. Employment and skills in the construction sector are identified as a priority, and a focus of the ‘Restart’ phase of the Plan is to maximise employment opportunities. The Government has welcomed the Plan and is collaborating with the CLC and industry to ensure that the proposals are implemented.

Energy: Housing

Lord Foster of Bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money they have (1) allocated, and (2) propose to allocate to upgrade (a) fuel poor homes, and (b) all homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate band C.

Lord Callanan: Our manifesto committed £6.3 billion to improving people’s homes, to accelerate our progress towards net zero emissions by 2050 and to help households reduce their energy bills.The Summer Economic Update announced more than £2 billion of funding for upgrading the energy efficiency of homes. The Green Homes Grant is a £2 billion programme which will help improve the energy efficiency of homes in England. Low income and vulnerable homeowners in receipt of certain benefits may be eligible for a grant covering up to 100% of the cost of installation, up to £10,000. The £50 million Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund will contribute to fuel poverty alleviation and energy efficiency improvements of social housing stock. The Prime Minister announced that the scheme will carry on for an additional year, with £60 million additional funding announced for social housing at Spending Review 2020 The Energy Company Obligation scheme requires energy companies to deliver energy efficiency and heating measures to low income, vulnerable and fuel poor households. The current scheme is worth £640m per year and ends in March 2022. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced an extension to this scheme until 2026 in his Ten Point Plan. Further details about ECO will be consulted on in the first half of next year. We will publish the Heat and Buildings Strategy and Fuel Poverty Strategy in the coming months. These strategies will set out further details on how we will work towards alleviating fuel poverty and improving homes’ energy performance ratings.

Climate Change Convention

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to discuss the growth in the world population at the UN Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP26); and, if so, what changes they will theybe advocating.

Lord Callanan: Unsustainable consumption remains the primary driver of climate change and environmental degradation. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister has been clear that tackling climate change is a priority for this government. Over the past 30 years, the UK has been at the forefront of the transition to green – demonstrating that economic growth can be aligned with protecting the climate and environment, with our GDP growing by 75% whilst emissions have fallen by 43%. In the lead up to COP26, we must listen to all voices to unleash the full potential of the Paris Agreement when we meet in Glasgow next year. Together we can reduce emissions, adapt to climate impacts, build resilience and grow our economies.

Department of Health and Social Care

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bethell on 24 November (HL10313), when they estimate that the revised project timeline for the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence quality standard on foetal alcohol spectrum disorder will be published.

Lord Bethell: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence plans to publish the revised timeline for its quality standard on foetal alcohol spectrum disorder on 9 December 2020.

Telemedicine: Coronavirus

Baroness Grey-Thompson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the uptake of telemedicine as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and what assessment they have made of theimpact of any such uptake on women’s health services.

Lord Bethell: Online consultations are available in almost 6,000 practices, covering 90% of the population, an increase from about 40% of general practitioner (GP) practices in December 2019. About half a million online consultations between patients, GPs and general practice staff now happen every week, around 12 million in the last six months. Face-to-face appointments are available and routine screening services for cervical and breast cancer have re-started. Women are encouraged to attend screening appointments when invited to do so and to contact their GP if they have any unusual symptoms or concerns.Three national evaluations are underway to evaluate the impact of online and video consultations, including assessment of the impact on people’s health.

Hospitals

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the impact since March of the under-utilisation of capacity in hospitals operated by the Independent Healthcare Providers Network under their partnership agreement with the NHSon (1) postponed (a) diagnoses, and (b) treatment, and (2) costs to taxpayers.

Lord Bethell: The National Health Service is working in partnership with private hospitals in the United Kingdom to combat the outbreak of COVID-19. The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement have worked with the Independent Healthcare Providers Network and with independent sector providers themselves to secure all appropriate inpatient capacity and other resource across England.The addition of around 6,500 additional beds has increased NHS capacity and ensured that facilities are available for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 whilst ensuring continuity of service for non-COVID-19 patients requiring elective activity, including cancer and other urgent treatment.It is not possible to make an assessment of the impact since March of any underutilisation of independent sector capacity on postponed diagnoses or treatment.

Coronavirus: Research

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support studies which (1) include non-hospitalised individuals, and (2) are of sufficient scale to be valid, to determine the ages at which critical health changes in response to COVID-19 occur.

Lord Bethell: The Department, through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and UK Research and Innovation, have launched a £20 million joint research call to fund ambitious and comprehensive research to understand and address the longer term physical and mental health effects of COVID-19 in non-hospitalised individuals. The aim is to support two or three large consortia and a number of extensions to existing studies. These studies will be robust and of sufficient scale to include analysis of age and other factors.

Drugs and Vaccination: Imports

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with pharmaceutical company representatives about the risk of shortages of drugs and vaccines arising from the delay in establishing the new import procedures which will apply from 1 January 2021.

Lord Bethell: The Government, in consultation with the devolved administrations and Crown Dependencies and with partners across the health and social care sector, has made detailed plans to help ensure continued supply of medicines and medical products, including vaccines, to the whole of the United Kingdom from 1 January 2021.The Department wrote to industry partners and the wider health and social care sector on 3 August this year and on 17 November setting out the Department’s plans and preparations to help ensure the continuity of supply of medical goods to the whole of the UK at the end of the transition period. This includes putting in place a £77 million freight contract, to help ensure the smooth flow of Category 1 goods, such as vaccines.

Coronavirus: Death

Lord Robathan: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) doctors, and(2) nurses, employed by the NHS have died as a result of COVID-19; and how many of those had comorbidities.

Lord Bethell: The Office for National Statistics publishes mortality data for deaths involving COVID-19 for healthcare workers and social care workers in England and Wales. The last iteration of this release showed that in England there were 305 deaths involving among healthcare workers and 307 deaths among social care workers registered between 9 March and 12 October 2020 in England, aged 20-64 years, using their last known occupation.The definition of healthcare workers used will include not only those employed in the National Health Service but wider healthcare sector workers. No information is published relating to comorbidities these staff may have had.

Coronavirus: Public Inquiries

Lord Truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish an independent public inquiry into their response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Bethell: As the Government has already made clear there will be opportunities to look back, analyse and reflect on all aspects of COVID-19. The Prime Minister has said that this will include an independent inquiry at the appropriate time. For now, the Government is focused entirely on responding to the pandemic and saving lives. Further details will be set out in due course and announced in the usual way.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have tointroduce a national system to enable care home residents to have meaningful visits from relatives by treating named family members in the same way as key workers who are tested weekly.

Lord Bethell: We understand how vital it is to allow care home residents to meet their loved ones safely. We appreciate the particular challenges visiting restrictions pose for people with dementia, people with learning disabilities and autistic adults, amongst others, as well as for their friends and family. On 16 November, we began a trial of testing visitors to care homes. The aim is to support care home providers and families to work together to find the right balance between the benefits of visiting on wellbeing and quality of life, and the risk of transmission of COVID-19 to social care staff and vulnerable residents. This trial is currently taking place in around 21 care homes across three local authorities - Devon, Cornwall and Hampshire - with a view to rolling out nationally in December. Visitors will still be expected to follow infection prevention and control procedures. Holding hands and hugs can be allowed with a negative test and personal protective equipment, but visitors should minimise contact as much as possible to reduce the risk of transmission.

Nutrition

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide guidance to affected trade bodies regarding legal changes relevant to the Nutrition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020; and what consideration they have given to providing any such guidance more frequently than every three months.

Lord Bethell: Guidance for businesses and other interested parties was published on 17 November online at GOV.UK setting out the practical effect of the changes to domestic and European Union legislation relating to nutrition-related labelling, composition and standards made by the Nutrition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020.Officials developed the guidance in consultation with industry representatives and trade bodies via the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s Business Expert Group to ensure it addressed all necessary aspects of the legislation.The Department has heeded requests from industry to provide updates on this area at more frequent intervals. Officials meet with industry representatives on a more ad hoc basis providing updates on progress relevant to the Nutrition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, in addition to sharing written updates with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s Group in between the scheduled quarterly sessions.

Coronavirus: Research

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support studies(1) in a community setting, and (2) that extend into the convalescent period, to establish factors that affect the duration of effective immunity to COVID-19.

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support studies investigating the effect of (1) co-infection, and (2) vaccination against other pathogens, on COVID-19 immunity.

Lord Bethell: The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) are jointly funding the United Kingdom Coronavirus Immunology Consortium with £6.5 million, which will address key research themes on immunity to COVID-19 including cross reactivity with seasonal coronaviruses. Other relevant NIHR-UKRI funded studies include the STORY study to understand the severity of COVID-19 disease in children and evaluate antibody responses; Virus Watch looking at household transmission; and the INSTINCT study investigating the epidemiology and immunology of COVID-19 infection in households. The NIHR’s Health Protection Research Unit in Respiratory Infections is also looking at the size and longevity of the immune response.

Department for Education

Secondary Education: Closures

Lord Baker of Dorking: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many secondary schools which were judged by Ofsted as "Requires Improvement" have been closed by (1) a local authority, or(2) a multi-academy trust,in each of the last ten years.

Baroness Berridge: The information requested is not currently available.The data published by Ofsted shows the number of schools rated as Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, and Inadequate, which can be easily extracted from the published data.The proportion of secondary schools rated as Requires Improvement was 32% in August 2010, and this has changed to 16% in August 2020.The proportion of all schools rated as Requires Improvement was 30% in August 2010, and this has changed to 10% in August 2020.

Further Education: Small Businesses

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to boost employment through partnerships between colleges and SMEs.

Baroness Berridge: As the economy changes and we rebuild after the COVID-19 outbreak, there will be a real need for upskilling, reskilling and retraining to get people back into work as quickly as possible. In order to do this, we need a world-class skills system and we will shortly be delivering a White Paper which will build on this vision in England. Further education will be at the very heart of that vision with its ability to offer flexible and practical training that leads directly to jobs. We will look to colleges to play a leading role in developing skills in their areas, in responding to local economic needs and acting as centres for business development.We are already encouraging providers to work in partnership with employers, including through our £290 million investment in twenty Institutes of Technology, the government’s flagship programme designed to spearhead the delivery of higher technical education in STEM subjects. They bring together employers with further education colleges and universities into a new type of prestigious institution. They will be equipping many businesses, including small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) with the skills they need to drive productivity and take advantage of key growth opportunities.Employer-designed standards are central to our reforms to apprenticeships, driving up quality and delivering the skills that employers need. We are providing a new payment of £2,000 to employers in England for each new apprentice they hire aged under 25 and a payment of £1,500 for each new apprentice an employer hires aged 25 and over, before 31 January 2021. We have also introduced incentive payments, enabling employers to apply for £1,000 per learner, for employers who offer traineeship work placement opportunities between 1 September 2020 and 31 July 2021.Colleges provide an important role in supporting SMEs to create new apprenticeships. As we recover from the impact of COVID-19 we want to ensure we grow the number of SMEs offering apprenticeships, supported by funding, given that they are vital to the UK economy. We have already committed to improve the working of the Apprenticeship Levy. We will also work with large employers to improve the transfer process, making it easier for them to find smaller employers to transfer levy funds to, helping them maximise the amount of funding they will be able to transfer.In addition, training providers are also working alongside employers (many of whom are SMEs), to deliver traineeships which prepare young people for apprenticeships and work through a combination of sector-focused skills development and work experience.

Apprentices: Construction

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to increase the number of apprentices going into construction to keep up with existing demand.

Baroness Berridge: As the economy recovers from the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, it is more important than ever that businesses in the construction sector are equipped and empowered to recruit the right people and develop the skills that they need to build the right things better, greener, and faster than before.To support new apprenticeship starts, employers in all sectors are now able to claim £2,000 for every new apprentice they hire under the age of 25 before 31 March 2021, in recognition of the particular impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on the employment prospects of this group, and £1,500 for new apprentices aged 25 and over.There are currently 105 high-quality apprenticeship standards in construction available for employers to use. We are working closely with the construction sector to make sure that businesses can take advantage of the benefits of apprenticeships. We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions to enable young people to progress from Kickstart onto an apprenticeship and create another entry route into the construction sector.As part of our commitment to expand apprenticeship opportunities, we have set out plans to improve the transfers system so that unspent levy funds can better support apprenticeships in small and medium sized enterprises. We are working with the construction sector so that apprenticeships can better recognise prior learning and experience and enable certain construction apprentices to complete their apprenticeship more quickly. From April 2021 employers in construction will be able to front-load training for certain apprenticeship standards. In addition, we are working with employers to develop a bespoke construction traineeship, to further support young people entering the construction industry.Through the Construction Skills Delivery Group, we are collaborating with industry leaders to develop and deliver these policies. This work contributes to ‘Project-Speed’ – a cross-Whitehall Taskforce, led by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which will accelerate, improve and reduce the costs of developing, designing and delivering vital economic and social infrastructure projects.

Academic Year: Coronavirus

Lord Porter of Spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Berridge on 26 October (HL9059), what plans they have toclose schools and move to online learning before the Christmas holidays to enable (1) children to be isolated in their family groups, and (2) extended family gatherings in a COVID-19 secure manner.

Baroness Berridge: It continues to be the Department’s aim that all pupils, in all year groups, remain in school full time. Returning to school full time has been vital for children’s education and for their wellbeing. Time out of school is detrimental for children’s cognitive and academic development, particularly for disadvantaged children. This impact can affect both current levels of learning and children’s future ability to learn.As set out in the Government’s COVID-19 Winter Plan, nurseries, schools and colleges should not change their Christmas holidays or close early this term. Parents should continue to send their children to school during term time. A time limited change to social restrictions over Christmas does not require any children to be taken out of school prematurely. The leaders and staff of schools have been doing an extraordinary job to remain open, keep settings safe and provide education.Schools have implemented a range of protective measures to minimise risk of transmission. The risk to children themselves of becoming severely ill from COVID-19 is low and there are negative health impacts of being out of school. Senior clinicians, including the Chief Medical Officers of all 4 nations, still advise that school is the very best place for children to be, and so they should continue to go to school.Closing schools early would also cause additional disruption and inconvenience to many parents, including key workers such as NHS staff, due to the additional child care arrangements required as a result of this action.If parents have concerns about their child attending school because they consider they or members of their household may have particular risk factors, they should discuss these with their school.

Remote Education: Coronavirus

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide self-isolating students from disadvantaged backgrounds with digital devices.

Baroness Berridge: As part of over £195 million invested to support access to remote education and online social care, over 340,000 laptops and tablets are being made available this term to support disadvantaged children in year 3 to 11 whose face-to-face education may be disrupted. Since September, over 100,000 of these have been delivered to schools.This supplements over 220,000 laptops and tablets and over 50,000 4G wireless routers, which have already been delivered during the summer term.This represents an injection of over half-a-million laptops and tablets by the end of the year.Laptops and tablets are owned by the local authority, trust or school who can lend unused laptops and tablets to children and young people who need them most, if they experience disruption to face-to-face education due to the COVID-19 outbreak.Once children who have been self-isolating return to school, and if others are required to self-isolate, schools can choose to reallocate devices to those pupils who are out of school.We continue to provide 4G wireless routers, with free data, where schools face disruption and children need to access remote education.In partnership with mobile network operators, we are providing access to free additional mobile data for the academic year, offering families flexibility to access the resources that they need the most.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners: Foreign Nationals

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the last year for which figures are available, what proportion of the prison population were foreign national prisoners, broken down by (1) country, and (2) offence type.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Any foreign national who comes to our country and abuses our hospitality by breaking the law should be in no doubt of our determination to punish and deport them.We continue to remove foreign national offenders where routes are available. Since January 2019, we have removed 6,450 foreign national offenders from our prisons, immigration removal centres and the community, with 4,771 removed in 2019/20. We are absolutely committed to removing foreign national offenders from the UK and continue to work closely with international governments to maximise the removal of serious and persistent offenders. We are constantly reviewing progress to ensure that all options are being pursued and that our early removal mechanisms are working as effectively as possible. The table attached provides the information on the nationalities and offence types for foreign national prisoners.Table (xlsx, 23.1KB)

Prisoners

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the offence type breakdown for the (1) male, and (2) female, prison population of (a) 15 to 17 year olds, (b) 18 to 20 year olds, (c) 21 to 24 year olds, (d) 25 to 29 year olds, (e) 30 to 39 year olds, (f) 40 to 49 year olds, (g) 50 to 59 year olds, (h) 60 to 69 year olds, and (i) those aged 70 and over.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Data on the total prison population as at 30 September 2020, broken down by sex, specified age group and associated offence group, can be viewed in the attached table.Table (xlsx, 12.7KB)

Prisoners: Ethnic Groups and Religion

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the prison population in England and Wales in each of the last five years (1) broken down by ethnic group, and (2) further subdivided by religion.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The information requested is provided on the attached document.The total prison population also includes those held on remand or under sentence, immigration detainees and those convicted of civil offences.Figures of five and fewer have been suppressed in order to protect the potential identification of individuals.Table (pdf, 117.1KB)

Prison Sentences

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the breakdown of the tariff-expired unreleased life prisoner population by (1) original tariff length, and (2) time over tariff.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The tariff-expired unreleased lifer prisoner population, broken down by original tariff length and time over tariff as of 30 September 2020, is shown in the following table: Original Tariff LengthTime over tariffLess than or equal to 10 yearsGreater than 10 years to less than or equal to 20 yearsMore than 20 yearsTotalLess than 1 year461356187From 1 year to less than 2 years43965144From 2 years to less than 3 years25688101From 3 years to less than 4 years2750279From 4 years to less than 5 years2251376From 5 years to less than 6 years2937470From 6 years to less than 7 years3745385From 7 years to less than 8 years3139171From 8 years to less than 9 years4133276From 9 years to less than 10 years6231295From 10 years to less than 11 years4727377From 11 years to less than 12 years6413380From 12 years to less than 13 years5414169From 13 years to less than 14 years5414068From 14 years to less than 15 years4819269From 15 years to less than 16 years4713161From 16 years to less than 17 years259034From 17 years to less than 18 years2418042From 18 years to less than 19 years2110031From 19 years to less than 20 years14702120 years or more80553138Total841784491,674 These figures have been drawn from the Public Protection Unit Database held by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. As with any large scale recording systems, the figures are subject to possible errors with data migration and processing. It may be useful to note that statistics on the indeterminate population in prisons are routinely published as part of the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly on Gov.uk - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly . I would like to be clear that our primary responsibility is to protect the public. We do not want to keep indeterminate sentenced prisoners in custody any longer than is necessary, but we have a duty to ensure that they are progressed in a safe manner. It remains the case that prisoners serving life and other indeterminate sentences will be released only when the independent Parole Board concludes that the risk to the public is capable of being safely managed in the community under probation supervision.

Prison Sentences

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) male, and (2) female, prisoners are currently serving an extended determinate sentence with a custodial term of (a) 12 months to two years, (b) two to four years, (c) four to five years, (d) five to seven years, (e) seven to 10 years, (f) 10 to 14 years, and (g) 14 years or more.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: As of 30th September 2020, data on offenders serving extended determinate sentences broken down into the categories requested is as follows: Sentence length bandsMaleFemaleTotal5,7647412 months to 2 years16*2 years to 4 years11104 years to 5 years584235 years to 7 years862127 years to 10 years1,5472110 years to 14 years1,33514More than 14 years1,303*Sentence length other/ unrecorded60 The data above shows the custodial term imposed under the extended determinate sentence and therefore the maximum time offenders serving the sentence could spend in custody. Such prisoners may be released after having served two thirds of this custodial term at the discretion of the parole board.The figures in these tables have been drawn from large scale administrative data systems - as such there may be errors in data entry and processing. Small values have been suppressed in the above table to protect the identity of individuals.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Local Government: Capital Investment

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the announcement by South Somerset District Council that it intends to develop a battery farm in Fareham, Hampshire with its joint venture partner Opium Power, whether there is any precedent of an English local authority investing in another local authority.

Lord Greenhalgh: Local authorities borrow and invest under the Prudential Framework. It is a permissive system that gives local authorities wide freedoms to borrow and invest, and determine their own capital strategies, provided they stay within the legal bounds of the Framework and have regard to the statutory guidance. Local authorities remain accountable to their electorate for their investment decisions.Government and CIPFA are clear that borrowing to invest for yield is not complaint with the objectives of the Framework. This is consistent with reforms HMT have put in place over the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB), which prevent councils planning to invest primarily for income from borrowing from the PWLB. There is no specific restriction on where local authorities can invest, but councils investing outside their area will need to ensure they are compliant with the Framework.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Lord Moylan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the exercise by local authorities of the compliance and enforcement activities related to COVID-19; and whether all such activities have been carried out in compliance with the Guidance to support local authority compliance and enforcement activity, including COVID-19 secure marshals or equivalentspublished on 8 October.

Lord Greenhalgh: On 8 October, the Government allocated £30 million to local authorities in England to help them fund their Covid-19 compliance and enforcement work. There will be a three month review of the spending of that grant. Government's regular engagement with local authorities indicates they are working hard to help people comply with the rules, in partnership other local agencies such as the police.

High Rise Flats: Insulation

Lord Young of Cookham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce the reliance on interim measures such as waking watch and evacuation management plans by residents of high-rise buildings awaiting remediation for building safety defects.

Lord Greenhalgh: The most effective way to make buildings with unsafe cladding safe and eliminate the need for interim measures and associated costs is to have the unsafe cladding removed as quickly as possible. That is why we are prioritising £1.6 billion public subsidy on remediation of unsafe cladding. However, we recognise residents’ concerns about the cost of waking watch measures and the lack of transparency of these costs. That is why we have collected and published information on waking watch costs. This will enable those that have commissioned it to make comparisons and challenge providers on unreasonable costs. The data is available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-programme-waking-watch-costsThe Government also welcomes the National Fire Chiefs Council update to its guidance on Simultaneous Evacuation published in October (available at: www.nationalfirechiefs.org.uk/Simultaneous-evacuation-guidance). We have asked the Fire Protection Board to advise Fire and Rescue Services on how best to operationalise the revised guidance including looking into other measures such as installing building-wide fire alarm systems to reduce the dependency on waking watches wherever possible.Waking Watch costs (pdf, 158.9KB)Simultaneous evacuation guidance (pdf, 301.5KB)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Vegetables: Imports

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what delaysthey expect to the import of fresh salad products from the EU from 1 January 2021; and what contingency arrangements they have put in place to keep any such delays to the minimum.

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they expect to see price increases in salad goods imported from the EU from 1 January 2021; and, if so, how much they expect the rise in such prices to be.

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey have taken to increase warehouse capacity for food being imported and exported between the UK and EU from 1 January 2021.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain based on strong domestic production and supply from a diverse range of sources. The availability of certain fresh seasonal produce, such a salad products imported from the EU may be temporarily impacted by reduced border flow rates but there will not be an overall shortage of food in the UK. Many such products are short shelf-life and imported on a just-in-time basis, and increased storage capacity would not effectively mitigate this risk. The UK Government has published on Gov.uk planning assumptions on border flows for imported goods at the end of the transition period.https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/920675/RWCS_for_our_borders_FINAL.pdf To support the smooth flow of food goods across the border from January 2021 onwards, we have put in place traffic management mitigations such as Operation Brock, published the Border Operating Model which prioritises border flow in the early months of 2021, and worked with ports to provide additional inland sites for customs checks. The Government is carrying out ongoing work to help businesses and traders get ready for the 1 January including potential border disruption, this includes extensive engagement with agri-food supply chain stakeholders. Changes to consumer food prices depend on several factors including agri-food import prices and currency exchange rates and energy prices. Many food sub-sectors are accustomed to short-term fluctuations in supply chain costs, and this does not necessarily translate into consumer price rises.

Pets: Disease Control

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have considered the introduction of additional controlson the use of flea treatments for domestic pets to help prevent the contamination of rivers and waterways by insecticides.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Medicines containing imidacloprid and fipronil are accompanied by advice to users to keep treated animals out of watercourses for 2 to 4 days after treatment. If these measures are followed, it is expected that exposure to the environment should be negligible. Due to concerns and uncertainties raised by previous research and monitoring data, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) commissioned research in 2019 to investigate the potential environmental exposure pathways for dog and cat flea and tick products, to assess the significance of the use of neonicotinoids (e.g. imidacloprid) and other parasiticides (e.g. fipronil) on the aquatic environment. This research is ongoing. In addition, the relevance of other sources and exposure routes of these parasiticides, which could be significant, is yet to be elucidated. Pending the findings from this commissioned research, and other available evidence, currently we do not have any plans to change the existing regulatory controls on veterinary medicines, including the use of flea treatments for pets and the existing risk mitigation warnings, which protect animal health, human health and the environment. The VMD is committed to continuing to consider the evidence to inform any policy decisions or other interventions such as reinforcing the message not to wash animals for the period stipulated.

Rivers: Somerset

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the dataset produced by the Environment AgencyWater Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD) Classification Status Cycle 2,published on 29 September, why no rivers in Somerset meet the current criteria for good ecological status or ecological potential.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: While water quality in rivers has generally improved since the 1990s, recent progress has slowed. The 2019 Water Framework Directive classification revealed that no waterbodies in England meet the criteria for good chemical status and therefore do not meet the criteria for overall good ecological status or ecological potential. This compares with about 97% of waterbodies achieving good chemical status in the 2016 classification. This apparent decline in results is largely due to the use of new monitoring methods rather than a sudden deterioration in water quality, and this means that the 2016 and 2019 classifications are not directly comparable. The use of new monitoring methods by the Environment Agency (EA) to assess the presence of a number of now banned or closely regulated chemicals has meant that in many rivers in Somerset the chemical classification has reduced, although all the other chemical and biological elements which the EA monitors remain largely unchanged. This new method has resulted in a more comprehensive assessment of certain substances in the environment and will allow the EA to begin to understand and address the legacy of these chemicals. The EA continues to monitor rivers in Somerset and seek improvements in light of this latest classification. It does this by working in partnership with a wide range of local and national organisations to reduce pollution and tackle the areas of biggest concern like storm overflows, working with farmers to support environmentally friendly farming that doesn’t damage water quality, and responding to water quality incidents and prosecuting polluters where applicable.

Carbon Capture and Storage: Kelp and Soil

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the benefits of (1) soil restoration, and (2) kelp, forests for carbon sequestration.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The most recent published Government review of the evidence on the benefits of soil restoration for carbon sequestration is available at:http://sciencesearch.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=12186_SP1113Finalreport.pdf. The Government recognises the importance of effective soil management and the social, economic and environmental benefits it can provide, including biodiversity, carbon storage, flood protection and improved productivity. The 25 Year Environment Plan sets out Government’s ambition to have sustainably managed soils by 2030, helping soils to function better to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services. The Government is also committed to publishing an England Peat Strategy to create and deliver a new ambitious framework for peat restoration. It will set out a holistic plan for the management, protection and restoration of our upland and lowland peatlands, so that they deliver benefits for climate and nature. We intend to publish the strategy before the end of the year. Kelp forests are productive ecosystems and in England are estimated to store 0.06 million tonnes of carbon in their biomass. However, the long-term carbon sequestration benefits are uncertain as the fate of carbon from these habitats is not well understood. Long-term carbon storage from kelp may occur in sediments outside of the habitat or be recycled within the ocean system. We are currently undertaking an evidence review to assess kelp carbon stock and accumulation rates in the UK.Soil restoration and carbon report (pdf, 3232.9KB)

Animal Welfare: Indonesia

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Indonesia about the treatment ofanimals, in particular the treatment of endangered species, including the slow loris, in pet markets in that country.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We are proud of our world-leading animal welfare standards, which are backed by a rigorous legislative framework. The Government takes seriously reports of animal cruelty throughout the world and the UK is at the forefront of international efforts to protect endangered animals and plants from poaching and illegal trade. In 2018, the UK convened the largest ever global IWT conference at which 65 countries signed up to the London Declaration, committing to take urgent, coordinated action against illegal wildlife trade. The IWT Challenge Fund has committed over £26m to 85 projects around the world, including working in Indonesia to building law enforcement capacity and helping communities to protect their wildlife.

Tree Planting

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to establish a tree planting target for England to achieve an increase in England’s woodland cover; and how they plan to ensure that progress towards any target is achieved.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We are committed to increasing planting across the UK to 30,000 hectares per year by 2025 and are exploring whether a statutory target for trees in England would be appropriate, under the process proposed by the Environment Bill. Our ambitious England Tree Strategy, being published early next year, will set out more detailed plans for achieving this unprecedented increase in woodland creation, supported by the £640 million Nature for Climate Fund announced in the March Budget. Plans to help kickstart the nation’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund were announced on 18 November. This will include the expansion of protected landscapes, increased access to nature, stronger flood resilience, and the creation and retention of thousands of green jobs. Over 500 hectares trees will be planted across England’s ten Community Forests, from Yorkshire to Somerset over the next five months, backed by £12.1 million of investment. This will also build the pipeline of projects for community planting in future years.

Home Office

British Nationality: Assessments

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherthe section on the Northern Ireland Assembly in the Life in the United Kingdom: A guide for new residentsstates thecorrect number of Members of that Assembly; and if not, (1) when they intend to correct it, and (2) what plans they have to correct any life in the UK tests which contain questions on that number.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Life in the UK handbook publisher, TSO (The Stationery Office) Ltd, intends to publish an updated impression of the current edition of the handbook early in the new year, which will update the number of Members of the Northern Ireland assembly.The Life in the UK test is delivered by PSI on behalf of the Home Office. The test questions are not published or disclosed in order to protect the integrity of the test process. Nobody will be disadvantaged by the need to update the text.

Migrant Workers: Construction

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have toinclude key construction trades on the Shortage Occupation List to make it easier for migrants to apply for work visas to fill vacancies in that sector.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: In March, the Government commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to advise on the composition of the Shortage Occupation Lists (SOL) in light of the expanded skills threshold of the new Skilled Worker route, which will come into effect on 1 December.The MAC published its findings and recommendations on 29 September. The Government welcomes the MAC’s comprehensive advice, which included a recommendation to add bricklayers and masons; however, we do not consider changes to the SOLs should be made at this time, before assessing how the UK labour market develops postCovid19 and in response to the introduction of the new Points-Based Immigration System.As published on 22 October, the Immigration Rules for the new Points-Based Immigration System include an Appendix Shortage Occupation Lists. This replaces the existing lists under Appendix K. The contents are the same.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Egypt: Detainees

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Egyptabout the release of (1)Karim Ennarah, (2) Mohammed Basheer, and (3) Gasser Abdel Razeq; and what representations theyhave made to the government of Egypt about the importance of the work by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights in upholding human rights.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We welcome the release of Gasser Abdel Razek, Karim Ennarah and Mohamed Basheer. The UK was clear from the outset that we had serious concerns about their arrest and detention, concerns shared by likeminded international partners. The Foreign Secretary raised the issue with his Egyptian counterpart on 19 November, the first Foreign Minister to do so. We continue to take a close interest in this case. We continue to have regular discussions with the Government of Egypt on human rights issues, raising concerns where we have them.

Giulio Regeni

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Egypt about(1) its decision not tohold an inquiry into the alleged torture and subsequent death of Giulio Regeni, (2) reports that it did not comply with requests for information concerning those suspected of his murder fromthe Italian judicial authorities, and (3) itshuman rights record and the importance of upholding the rule of law.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We have the deepest sympathy for Giulio Regeni's family and their quest for justice for his appalling murder. As Mr Regeni was an Italian citizen, the Italian Government is taking the lead role on his case. We continue to follow the investigation into his death and to work closely with the Italian Government. We last discussed this at an official level with the Italian authorities on 23 November. We have also raised with the Egyptian authorities at a senior level the need for a transparent and impartial investigation, in full co-operation with Italy, so that Mr Regeni's killers can be brought to justice.We regularly raise our human rights concerns with the Egyptian authorities in London and in Cairo. A recent example was the Foreign Secretary's call with his Egyptian counterpart on 19 November.

Libya: Refugees

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the position of (1) UNHCR, and (2) the International Organization for Migration, on the designation of Libya as a safe third country for the purpose of returns.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We note the UNHCR's position set out in its September report "UNHCR position on the designations of Libya as a safe third country and as a place of disembarkation following rescue at sea". We also note the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) position on this issue, set out in recent IOM communications.

Nagorno Karabakh: Cultural Heritage

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to protect Armenian cultural and religious sites following the Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan about the reported destruction of sites of Armenian cultural and religious significance.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government is concerned by reports that both sides in the recent conflict have desecrated and destroyed cultural heritage sites. We have not made an assessment of the vulnerability of religious and cultural sites in Nagorno-Karabakh but have urged both parties to respect the cultural heritage of the region. We support UNESCO's efforts to assess the impact of fighting on sites of cultural significance. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas has been in regular contact with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers since the outbreak of hostilities in September. The Minister welcomed the news of the peace deal. She noted that a peaceful settlement was essential to securing the stability of the region; this included the protection of all cultural heritage sites. The British Ambassador to Azerbaijan also raised this issue with representatives of the Presidential Administration on 17 November.

Maira Shahbaz

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representationsthey have made to the government of Pakistan about the case of Maira Shahbaz; and what assessment they have made ofcalls for her to begranted asylum in the UK.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government strongly condemns the forced marriage and forced conversion of women and girls from religious minorities in Pakistan. We are closely monitoring Maira Shahbaz's case. We regularly raise our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief, women and girls' rights and gender equality with the Government of Pakistan at a senior level. On 19 October, I raised our concerns about child, early and forced marriage and forced conversion of women and girls with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari. In addition, I raised our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief with Dr Mazari on 16 November. The British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Dr Christian Turner CMG, raised our concerns about the case of Maira Shahbaz with the Governor of Punjab, Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, on 16 November. We will not comment on an individual case regarding immigration.

Syria: British Nationals Abroad

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to repatriate British nationals held by Kurdish forces in north-east Syria.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We do not comment on individual cases. Each request for consular assistance is considered on a case-by-case basis and the support we can offer is tailored to the individual circumstances.

Gaza Strip: Water

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the submission by the Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights, theAl-Haq – Law in the Service of Man, theCairo Institute for Human Rights Studies and theHabitat International Coalition – Housing and Land Rights NetworkJoint Urgent Appeal to the United Nations SpecialProcedures on the escalating water and sanitationcrisis in the Gaza Strip, occupied Palestinian territory, published on 9 November.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We remain concerned about the ongoing humanitarian situation in Gaza, including access to a reliable water supply and sanitation services. Through our economic development programme, UK Aid helps improve water and energy supply in Gaza.We are supporting a World Bank programme that aims to increase the volume, quality and reliability of water supply across the OPTs, by providing technical assistance and developing infrastructure. We will also help fund the construction of pipelines and reservoirs in Gaza to carry water from the Gaza Central Desalination Plant to households and businesses across the strip. When completed this plant will have doubled the water supply in Gaza ensuring that 2 million Gazans have greater access to this vital resource.

UNRWA: Humanitarian Aid

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to provide emergency funds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in light of the call by its Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on 9 November for humanitarian assistance.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is a long-term supporter of the United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA), and we recognise UNRWA's unique mandate from the UN General Assembly to protect and provide protection and core services to Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. We are providing £51 million to UNRWA in 2020/2021. Reports that UNRWA may not be able to pay the salaries of its staff in full are very worrying. To that end, the UK is working with UNRWA and other donors to improve UNRWA's financial viability. This includes broadening UNRWA's donor base, encouraging the full disbursement of pledges and support through multi-year funding.

Palestinians: Health Services

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Palestinian Authority about the provision of healthcare to people with disabilities.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CPRD) was ratified in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) in 2014.The Palestinian Authority's (PA) Prime Minister, Dr Shtayyeh, has also recently committed to finding a solution for comprehensive health insurance for people with disabilities, as guaranteed under PA law.The UK is supporting people with disabilities through a range of our programmes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. For example, through our CSSF Gender equality projects, following the outbreak of COVID-19, we have approved additional programming to strengthen disability inclusion across Palestinian society, which aims to ensure people with disabilities (PwD) are accounted for in the COVID-19 crisis response through reviewing laws, regulations, HR policies and bylaws in public sector to analyse barriers to PwDs participation in decision making. This will be followed by an advocacy campaign targeting the gaps identified in the analysis.

Ethiopia: Armed Conflict

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to African members of the Commonwealth to encourage them to ensure a peaceful solution to the conflict in Tigray.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are in touch with a range of partners, including Commonwealth members, on the current situation in Ethiopia. The Foreign Secretary spoke on 16 November with Foreign Minister Pandor of South Africa in support of President Ramaphosa's efforts to promote mediation. He spoke with President Kenyatta of Kenya on 24 November. The Minister for Africa spoke with Foreign Minister Kutesa of Uganda on 26 November. We will continue to work with partners in the region and in the international community to urge all sides to protect civilians, avoid ethnic tensions and hate-speech and to allow humanitarian access. We stand with the international community in calling for de-escalation and a political solution.

Ethiopia: Famine

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likelihood of (1) harvest failure, and (2) famine, in northern Ethiopia; and what steps they are taking to prepare humanitarian supplies for such an event.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Latest harvests across Tigray have been reasonable but food security is likely to become a concern in pockets of Tigray between February to May 2021. The ongoing violence and insecurity in the Tigray region is likely to affect food security, lower productivity and disrupt markets and supply chains. Our humanitarian partners are working to understand needs and stocks but access into the region is limited. We are concerned by the UN warning that refugee food stocks will be depleted very soon and 600,000 people who rely on monthly food assistance have not received rations for November. The situation is grave, and we assess that needs will increase unless security and access improve.We have called on all involved to ensure the protection of civilians, and to restore humanitarian access to allow the delivery of aid and essential services. The Minister for Africa reiterated this in his tweet of 19 November and when the Minister for Africa spoke with the Ethiopian Ambassador in London on 18 November. We are contributing to UN-led planning efforts for the delivery of assistance in Tigray. In Ethiopia, the UK provides funds to the UN's World Food Programme (WFP), UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) Ethiopian Humanitarian Fund, to provide food assistance, shelter, water and sanitation, health, nutrition and protection support. In Sudan, flexible UK funding to WFP and the UNHCR is already helping new refugees from Ethiopia to receive emergency assistance, including shelter and food. These agencies have proven themselves capable of working in high risk contexts, in Ethiopia and elsewhere, and for managing UK funds adeptly.

Genito-urinary Medicine: Overseas Aid

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the Department for International Development's total expenditure on sexual and reproductive health and rights in the (1) 2018/19, and (2) 2019/20,financial year.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) financial reporting estimates that the Department for International Development's total expenditure on sexual and reproductive health and rights was:£1.215 billion in 2018£1.202 billion in 2019Comparable figures for 2020 are not yet available.Please note FCDO adheres to the Guttmacher - Lancet integrated definition of SRHR which includes maternal and newborn care, however there is no international consensus on how to calculate SRHR spend. Thus, these estimates have been calculated using the internationally agreed Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (RMNCH) Muskoka methodology as proxy for SRHR spend and is likely to overestimate DFID SRHR spend.

Fossil Fuels: Overseas Aid

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey have taken to end the provision of Official Development Assistance to fossil fuel projects overseas.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Tackling climate change is a key priority for the UK. The Government is committed to working with countries across the world to unlock their renewable energy potential and support their transition away from fossil fuels to cleaner alternatives. The UK will continue to lead by example through aligning our Official Development Assistance (ODA) with the Paris Agreement temperature goals, including our support for energy.The Prime Minister announced in January that the Government would end direct ODA, investment, export credit and trade promotion support for thermal coal mining and coal power plants overseas. The Government continues to keep its approach to other fossil fuel investments and financing overseas under review.

West Bank: Education

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Norwegian Refugee Council Raided and Razed: Attacks on West Bank Education, published on 12 November; and what plans they have to raise this subject with the government of Israel in a joint démarche with other European countries.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are concerned by the findings of the report by the Norwegian Refugee Council, 'Raided and Razed: Attacks on West Bank Education', published on 12 November. The right to education is basic, and it is essential to have a strong and thriving Palestinian education system in order to provide opportunities for the next generation. This is why the UK is committed to providing support to education workers in the West Bank, and UNRWA education in the West Bank and Gaza. The Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa raised UK concerns about the demolition of Palestinian infrastructure, including potential demolition of schools, with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 29 October. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv also raised our concern about the demolition of schools with the Government of Israel on 13 October, alongside European partners. In all but the most exceptional of circumstances demolitions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation, including the treatment of Palestinian children.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Sugg on 19 November (HL10059), what assessment they have made of the impact of (1) the government of Israel's decision not to recognise the state of Palestine, (2) that government's occupation of other territory, and (3) the blockade of the Gaza Strip, on opportunities to establish peace in that region.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK wants to see an end to the occupation, and the creation of a sovereign, independent, democratic, contiguous and viable Palestinian state, living in peace and security, side by side with Israel. We have a regular dialogue with both the Palestinian Authority and the Government of Israel in which we reiterate the need for both sides to prepare their populations for peaceful coexistence and a two state solution. Steps to transform the situation in Gaza are also needed. We continue to stress to the Israeli authorities the damage that their restrictions on movement, access and trade are doing to the living standards of ordinary Palestinians in Gaza and that supporting legal trade for Gazans is firmly in Israel's long-term interests.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about reports that that government has closed roads and thus prevented Palestinians accessing their agricultural land.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We remain deeply concerned about restrictions on freedom of movement within the West Bank, including to and from Palestinian agricultural land. The UK Government continues to raise our concerns about Israeli restrictions on freedom of movement and access into and out of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, with the Israeli authorities. We continue to stress to the Israeli authorities the damage that their restrictions on movement, access and trade are doing to the living standards of ordinary Palestinians.

Northern Ireland Office

Culture: Northern Ireland

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to implement the Culture and Community Fund set out in New Decade, New Approach, published on 8 January.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The UK Government remains committed to delivering what was set out in the New Decade, New Approach agreement published on 8 January. The UK Government has provided £2 billion of funding to support implementation of the New Decade, New Approach deal. £553 million of this has already been allocated. The £2 billion includes a £1bn Barnett-based investment guarantee from the UK Government, which will include significant new funding to turbocharge infrastructure investment. This guarantee will apply in all circumstances, and allow the Executive to plan new investment over a five year period. The Northern Ireland Executive are responsible for the establishment and implementation of the Culture and Community Fund. The UK Government’s commitment in relation to the Culture and Community Fund is to provide funding to the Executive once they have agreed to progress plans for its establishment. The Executive will then be responsible for administering the funding provided by the UK Government. We continue to work with the Northern Ireland Executive on this matter.

Coronavirus: Christmas

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive about a UK-wide approach to tackling the COVID-19 pandemic during the Christmas period.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The UK Government and Devolved Administrations continue to work closely together to ensure a coordinated approach to the pandemic across the United Kingdom. As set out in our joint statement on 25 September, the UK government and devolved administrations hold a shared commitment to suppressing the virus to the lowest possible level and keeping it there. There have been regular discussions between Ministers and officials from the UK Government and from the Northern Ireland Executive. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has been attending COBR meetings, as have the First Minister and deputy First Minister for Northern Ireland on occasion. We have been co-ordinating with the NI Executive on our response to Covid throughout this year, seeking alignment in policy and approach wherever it is appropriate to do so. I was pleased we could agree on a shared approach across the UK to Christmas planning last week.

Aviation: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive about the provision of supportto the aviation industry in Northern Ireland during theCOVID-19 pandemic.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Government has been working closely with the NI Executive to maintain UK connectivity between Great Britain and Northern Ireland throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Thanks to a generous £5.7m financial support package agreed by the Government and the Executive, the air bridge between GB and NI was maintained at the height of disruptions this year, ensuring that critical routes to London from both City of Derry and Belfast City airports remained open to support the movement of key workers within the United Kingdom. The aviation industry has also been able to draw on the unprecedented package of economic measures the Government has put in place during this time, including a Bank of England scheme for firms to raise capital and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme that facilitates access to finance for businesses affected by the outbreak. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) has also been available to support wages during this time. On 5 November, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that workers across the United Kingdom would benefit from increased support with a five-month extension of the CJRS until the end of March 2021, with employees receiving 80% of their current salary for hours not worked. The Government continues to work closely with the Executive to ensure critical routes remain open.

Treasury

Customs: Northern Ireland

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many customs border points will be in place between Northern Ireland and Britain at the end of the transition period of the UK's departure from the EU; where any such border points will be sited; and how many trained inspectors will be employed at each border point.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Government has been clear that it does not see the need to construct any new bespoke customs infrastructure in Northern Ireland (or in Great Britain ports facing Northern Ireland) in order to meet its obligations under the Protocol. As set out in the Command Paper on the Northern Ireland Protocol, the Government guarantees unfettered access for Northern Ireland’s businesses to the whole of the UK market. This means no declarations, tariffs, new regulatory checks or customs checks. There will be only very limited exceptions to this, for example in upholding international obligations (such as in the movement of endangered species). Goods moving from GB into NI will be subject to very limited additional processes such as electronic import declarations and traders can receive assistance for these from the free-to-use Trader Support Service.

Pensions: Public Sector

Baroness Harris of Richmond: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that their proposal to eliminate age discrimination in public sector pension schemes does not create any sex discrimination in such schemes.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: On 16 July 2020, the government published a consultation[1] on “Public service pension schemes: changes to the transitional arrangements to the 2015 schemes”, accompanied by an Equalities Impact Assessment[2] (EIA). The EIA considered the impacts of the proposals on those with protected characteristics as identified in the Equality Act 2010, including sex. As part of this consultation, the government also asked for views on the implications of the proposals for people with protected characteristics. The consultation closed on October 11, and the government is now considering the issues raised in response to the consultation. The Equalities Impact Assessment will be updated in response to issues raised and will be published alongside the government’s response to the consultation in due course.  [1]https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/900766/Public_Service_Pensions_Consultation.pdf[2]https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/900999/Public_Service_Pensions_EIA_.pdfPublic service pensions consultation (pdf, 850.9KB)Public service pension EIA (pdf, 378.4KB)

Dental Services and Football: Coronavirus

Baroness Thornhill: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether (1) private dental practices, and (2) the English Football League Championship, were excluded from COVID-19 financial support schemes; and if so, why.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Government has set out a range of measures of support for private dental practices and the English Football League Championship during the Covid-19 outbreak. These include the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Coronavirus Bounce Back Loan, Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and further measures to support all businesses, such as tax deferrals, business rates relief and support with Statutory Sick Pay.

Netflix: Tax Allowances

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much tax relief Netflix received under the creative industry tax reliefs for Corporation Tax scheme.

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that Netflix’s revenues in the UK are subject to an appropriate level of taxation.

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Netflix will be subject to the Digital Services Tax.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The administration of the tax system is a matter for HM Revenue and Customs. It would not be appropriate for Treasury ministers to become involved in or to comment on the administration of the tax system in specific cases.

Developing Countries: Debts

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to assist countries in the Global Southwith debt reduction.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The UK has been at the forefront of leading the international response in assisting developing countries to deal with debt challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the G20 and Paris Club, the UK has supported a new Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) which has paused the debt service repayments of low-income countries until at least June 2021, ensuring they can focus their resources on the health and economic response to Covid-19. As of 13 November 2020, 46 countries have requested to benefit from the DSSI, amounting to an estimated USD 5.7bn of 2020 debt service deferral. As well as making £150 million available to the International Monetary Fund’s Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust and doubling the UK’s £2.2bn loan to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust to £4.4bn, the UK has also supported the development of a landmark Common Framework between the G20 and Paris Club which aims to facilitate the timely and orderly debt treatment for DSSI-eligible countries where needed. .

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Events Industry: Coronavirus

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they expect to publish an indicative date for the re-opening of (1) music venues, and (2) festivals.

Baroness Barran: We recognise the importance of giving the sector clarity for reopening with larger audiences and we are committed to supporting the sector during this time. However we have always been clear that the activity permitted would be in line with the latest public health context.From 2 December, in tiers 1 and 2 areas, socially distanced indoor audiences are permitted provided capacity in a venue is maintained at maximum 50% capacity or 1000 people, whichever is lower. In addition, the venue needs to follow the appropriate guidance and advice to ensure they are Covid secure.DCMS has established a Venues Steering Group and a sector-led sub-group on Outdoor Events and Festivals looking at how music venues and festivals can reopen safely. We are committed to continue working with music venues and festivals to understand the challenges they face and to enable events to take place in line with the latest regulations and guidance.

Music: Coronavirus

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the commercial music industry about the challenges of procuring insurance for live music events.

Baroness Barran: We are aware of the concerns which have been raised about the potential challenges associated with securing insurance for live music events.Officials have been working closely with the affected sectors to understand the challenges faced. This includes work to build an evidence base on whether there is a clear market failure that demonstrates insurance coverage is the only barrier to live music events taking place.

Internet: Safety

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken in the last three months to progress their proposed online harms legislation; and whether such legislation will be subject to pre-legislative scrutiny.

Baroness Barran: The government is firmly committed to making the UK the safest place to be online, and DCMS and the Home Office are working at pace to introduce this legislation. We will publish a Full Government Response to the Online Harms White Paper later this year. This will be followed by legislation in 2021, when parliamentary time allows.It is vital that we get this legislation right and we will make a final decision on pre-legislative scrutiny nearer the time of introduction. We are mindful of the need to balance speed and scrutiny when introducing these measures, and we will continue to engage with parliamentarians as we prepare legislation.

Music: Tourism

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take in the next financial year to support music tourism in the UK.

Baroness Barran: VisitBritain research shows that in 2017, over 2.6m international visitors attended a live music event while visiting the UK, representing 7% of the total visitors received.VisitEngland’s £45m Discover England Fund has promoted innovative bookable tourism products to international audiences, including music-related itineraries in the North West. VisitBritain continues to make use of the UK’s renowned cultural assets within its global marketing material.Music sector organisations and tourism businesses have benefited from the unprecedented pan-economic measures that Government has put in place during COVID-19, including the VAT cut for tourism and hospitality activities, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, various grant and loan schemes, as well as business rates relief for the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors.We will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders to assess how we can most effectively support all aspects of the tourism and music sectors’ recovery from COVID-19.

Events Industry: Economic Growth

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the strategic importance of (1) live music venues, and (2) festivals, to the UK's future economic growth.

Baroness Barran: The Government recognises the importance and significant growth potential of the live music venue and festival sectors to the UK economy. Before the Covid pandemic, the live music sector showed strong growth in GVA of 17% in 2019 to £1.3bn, up from £1.1bn in 2018. This growth follows an increase in GVA of 10% in 2018. Similarly, the number of full-time jobs sustained by music tourism has grown from 39,728 jobs in 2016 to 45,633 jobs in 2019. These live music sector jobs cover a broad range, from promoters and sound engineers, to security and bar staff employed at events.Live music venues and festivals are essential to the music industry’s talent pipeline, providing a stage to showcase and export great British talent. More broadly, the sectors play a considerable role in the UK's economy by generating jobs across the country and driving music tourism. The Government is committed to continuing to work with live music venues and festivals to help them access support through these challenging times and through recovery, allowing the music sector to continue to grow in the future.

Arts: Skilled Workers

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure the retention of highly skilled workers in the creative industries.

Baroness Barran: We recognise the crucial role that highly skilled workers play in making our creative industries world-leading, and the Government is providing extensive support to workers in these sectors. The £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund provides targeted support to critical cultural, arts and heritage organisations to help them, and the skilled workers that work in them, survive and recover from the Covid pandemic. In addition Arts Council England has made £119 million available to individuals (including freelancers) and in July, the Government also announced a UK-wide £500m Restart scheme to support film and TV production companies that have been unable to film due to the lack of insurance covering Covid-related risks. As of 19 November, the scheme is supporting over 4,500 jobs.The Government also recently announced the extension of both the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until March 31 2021. This generous support will help creative businesses across the country to protect their employees’ jobs during this difficult winter period.Government continues to engage regularly with stakeholders such as the BFI, the Creative Industries Federation and the Creative Industries Council to ensure we understand the impact of Covid-19 on the skills and talent needed to keep the UK’s creative industries a global success.

Women and Equalities

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Public Appointments

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their role in the process for appointments to the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Baroness Berridge: Appointments to the board of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) are ministerial appointments, and the role of ministers in appointing EHRC commissioners is set out in the Equality Act 2006.The appointments follow a recruitment process set out in the Governance Code for Public Appointments and are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the diversity of the members of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in terms of (1) ethnicity, and (2) religion; and what assessment they have made of the value that would be added to the credibility and effectiveness of the EHRC by addressing any deficit in the diversity of the organisation in that regard.

Baroness Berridge: The Minister for Women and Equalities has recently announced five appointments to the board of the EHRC, to take effect from 1 December 2020. With these appointments, the EHRC board will have four permanent members, out of 14, from minority ethnic backgrounds. This exceeds the government’s aim for 14% of all public appointments to come from ethnic minority backgrounds by 2022.One member of the EHRC board identifies as Muslim, seven as Christian, two as having no religion and four prefer not to say.The government is committed to maintaining diversity of appointments to the EHRC board.

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many members of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) are (1) Black, or (2) Muslim, and what steps (a) they, and (b) the EHRC, plan to take to improve ethnic and religious diversity on the EHRC.

Baroness Berridge: The Minister for Women and Equalities has recently announced five appointments to the board of the EHRC, to take effect from 1 December 2020. With these appointments, the EHRC board will have four permanent members, out of 14, from minority ethnic backgrounds, including one black commissioner. This exceeds the government’s commitment and ambition for 14% of all public appointments to come from ethnic minority backgrounds by 2022. At the moment, one member of the EHRC board identifies as Muslim.The government is committed to maintaining diversity of appointments to the EHRC board.At executive levels the EHRC, as an independent body, makes its own operational decisions about staff appointments.

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Black Lives Matter

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government when Ministers last met with members of the Equality and Human Rights Commission to discuss the Black Lives Matter movement; whether any Black people were present at that meeting; and if so, in what capacity.

Baroness Berridge: The Minister for Equalities, who is the sponsor Minister for the EHRC and is herself black, met the then Chair of the EHRC and its CEO on two occasions during the summer and more recently met the prospective new Chair of the Commission in mid-November. All these discussions covered, among other issues, the EHRC’s work on Covid-19 and ethnic minorities, including black people.

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many employees at senior civil service grade or equivalent in the Equality and Human Rights Commission are (1) Black, (2) Asian, (3) members of another ethnic minority, or (4) Muslim.

Baroness Berridge: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)’s recruitment practices and human resources strategy is the responsibility of the EHRC itself, as an independent organisation who makes its own operational decisions. I have therefore asked the chief executive of the EHRC to respond directly to the noble Lord and to send me a copy of her response. Copies of the chief executive’s response will also be placed in the Libraries of the House.